Celebrate and learn with the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association

January 10, 2012

The Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association (CSDA) is out to prove that “Diamond Tools are Forever” at this year’s World of Concrete trade show and exhibition. They have also announced their 2012 meeting and training calendar.

In recognition of CSDA’s 40th Anniversary, the association will host a celebration on Wednesday, January 25 at 10:00 AM at its booth, #C4457 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Since no party is complete without great food and drinks, champagne and cake will be served, as well as a few more surprises.

CSDA will not just be celebrating at World of Concrete, however. The association will also be educating during the show with two training classes. A CSDA Hand Sawing & Drilling 101 class will start on January 24 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and run for three days, while a two-day CSDA Estimating class will also begin at the same time. Content for the Hand Sawing & Drilling 101 class will be split between the classroom and the slab, and students will spend time each morning at the outdoor exhibit booths of several CSDA member companies to perform practical exercises.

“This will be the third year CSDA has held training classes in Las Vegas, and World of Concrete is proving to be a popular choice of venue,” says Rick Norland, CSDA’s lead training instructor. “Companies are sending guys knowing that their employees will receive a lot of technical knowledge and have the chance to use the latest cutting equipment on the market, all while seeing the show.”

Following the completion of the training classes, Norland will hold a 90-minute World of Concrete seminar on the subject of Utilizing Concrete Structure GPR Data to Avoid Problems. The seminar is scheduled for Friday, January 27 at 8:00 AM.

In addition to these events, CSDA will hold two meetings during the show. The CSDA Board of Directors will meet before the 40th Anniversary celebration on Wednesday, January 25 while the CSDA Next Generation group will hold a meeting on Thursday, January 26 from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. The association will, for the fifth year, have representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sharing its booth space. These representatives will be on hand to answer questions, give advice and provide documentation.

The CSDA has scheduled the following meetings and training sessions for 2012.

Jan. 24-25 CSDA Estimating Class, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

Jan. 24-26 CSDA Hand Sawing and Drilling 101 Training Class, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

Jan. 25 CSDA Board Meeting, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

Jan. 25 CSDA 40th Anniversary Celebration, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

Jan. 26 CSDA Next Generation Meeting, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada

Mar. 5-6 CSDA Spring Meetings, Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa, Ka’anapali Beach, Hawaii

Mar. 7-9 CSDA 40th Annual Convention, Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa, Ka’anapali Beach, Hawaii

Mar. 8 CSDA Tech Fair, Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa, Ka’anapali Beach, Hawaii

Jun. 7-8 CSDA Summer Meetings, Loews Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia

Sep. 6-7 CSDA Fall Meetings, Hyatt Regency O’Hare, Chicago, Illinois

Nov. 12-13 CSDA Slab Sawing & Drilling 201 Training, St. Petersburg College, Clearwater, Florida

Nov. 13-14 CSDA Estimating Training, St. Petersburg College, Clearwater, Florida

Nov. 14-15 CSDA Wall Sawing 201 Training, St. Petersburg College, Clearwater, Florida

Nov. 16-17 CSDA Wire Sawing 201 Training, St. Petersburg College, Clearwater, Florida

Dec. 6-7 CSDA Winter Meetings, Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, Scottsdale, Arizona.

The association was formed in 1972 with just 18 charter members. Today, CSDA has almost 500 member companies from around the world and continues its mission to promote the selection of professional sawing and drilling contractors and their methods. Membership includes contractors, manufacturers, distributors and affiliate companies in the concrete sawing and drilling industry.

“CSDA has made tremendous progress in its first 40 years and is positioned to build on that success for an even brighter future,” says CSDA Executive Director Patrick O’Brien.

The knowledge and experience of its members has enabled CSDA to produce 33 industry Specifications, Standards, Tolerances and Best Practice documents. In addition, the association has created the CSDA Safety Manual, a 208-page comprehensive safety document, and has 100 Toolbox Safety Tips in circulation to increase hazard awareness to its membership and enhance operator safety.

CSDA has also developed an extensive range of training options to equip sawing and drilling operators with the necessary skills to handle any concrete cutting job. The association launched Cutting Edge, an entry-level course for inexperienced operators, in 1993. Close to 800 students have graduated from this class. Several hands-on classes followed for major cutting disciplines, and in 1996 the association introduced the CSDA Operator Certification program for skilled and experienced students. Training has also shifted from the classroom to the home or office. The CSDA Online Training program was launched in 2007. The program boasts 29 online classes, which have been completed by over 1,700 students.

The association continues to align itself with established organizations, while supporting the growth of other associations and industry events. CSDA has been a cosponsor of the annual World of Concrete exposition for 35 years and is currently in its sixth year of an Alliance partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In addition, the association is part of several other organizations and helped create the International Association of Concrete Sawers and Drillers in 1995.

Other achievements for the association include the development of Concrete Openings—the official magazine of CSDA—from a 4-page photocopied newsletter circulated in 1975, to an 80-page trade publication that reaches 17,000 industry professionals each quarter. CSDA has also seen the election of the first female president in 2005 and the formation of the CSDA Next Generation group in 2010 for future industry leaders.